Heaptalk, Jakarta — Akhirat: A Love Story is a 2021 movie directed by Jason Iskandar, Indonesia’s young-talented movie director. As Jason’s debut in a feature-length movie, the artwork serves a new genre that is unique in the national movie industry today, namely fantasy romance. The genre is considered relatively unfamiliar, but this uniqueness has brought fresh air into the country’s movie industry.
The movie stars Adipati Dolken, Della Dartyan, Verdi Solaiman, Windi Apsari, Ayudyah Pasha, Arswendi Nasution, and Nungki Kusumastuti will be premiered on 2nd November 2021 in cinemas across Indonesia.
The story of the movie derives from the issue between two main characters, Timur (Adipati Dolken) and Mentari (Della Dartyan). They are known to love each other but cannot be together due to their considerable differences. Significant gaps, including financial background, lifestyle, and mainly religion, make the relationship between these two characters do not get their parents’ blessing.
Although experiencing a rocky love journey, the strong love they have keeps them together. However, one day, a car accident they experienced has led them to be in a realm between life and death or known as Limbo. The situation, afterward, forces them to choose between their spouse or parents, life and death.
During the movie, the story contained an issue concerning life in Limbo, a theme that is commonly considered to have a dark tone. However, the brilliant thing is it has succeeded in keeping presenting a light tone. The action makes it audiences easy to follow the story, preventing them from frowning when watching the movie. This great point becomes one of the major attractions that bring a new perspective about Limbo’s stereotype in a movie.
Delivering his opinion towards the genre and the tone, Jason, in the Akhirat: A Love Story‘s press conference (18/11), uttered that the fantasy is chosen intentionally to create a different experience for the moviegoers.
Fantasy offered is a way different from people’s daily life, thus, it will lead audiences to imagine more, set themselves to sink deeply into the characterization in the movie. Jason also added that the unusual genre also would increase people’s curiosity towards the characters’ decisions in the movie.
“The genre has boosted people to think and imagine more, locate position themselves to have the same position as the characters, which may be, never be experienced by people in daily activities. Through that position, the audiences will wonder about the decision that will be taken. And when the imagination and romance are combined, the fuse will create an interesting element.” Said Jason in a statement (18/10)
Once Heaptalk confirmed to Jason regarding the total of target audiences, the director of “Sarung Petarung” stated that as his first feature-length movie, he could not deliver the information for sure, but the certain one is, this movie was created with his best effort.
“Concerning to the number of target audiences, I cannot spill it for sure, but the sure thing is, through this movie, I would like to say I put my best in creating my first feature movie.”
Asked about his opinion towards the industry, Jason perceived that the archipelago needs people that are brave to disrupt the old fashion, bringing novel concepts, both in the side of the plot, genre, or other movie’s aspects.
“Something that should be fulfilled in Indonesian movie industry is a courage to disrupt the old standard that can be performed by presenting fresh story or genre, like this movie, or using other approaches,” added Jason.
By the launch of Akhirat: A Love Story amidst the covid-19 situation today, Jason expected that the movie could be a trigger for people to come and watch movies in the theatre, reviving Indonesian cinema.
